The title of the Club shall be “The National Tortoise & White Cavy Club” hereinafter referred to as the Club

2. OBJECTS

The object of the Club shall be to promote the keeping, breeding and exhibiting of the Tortoise & White cavy.

3. MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Club shall be open to all interested persons and shall consist of (a) Adult Members (b) Senior Citizens (c) Partnership – consisting of 2 people (d) Juvenile Members (who shall be aged 7 to 16 years of age inclusive) Each member of the Club shall receive a copy of Articles, Rules and Regulations of the Club and ignorance of any Article, Rule or Regulation shall not excuse any member from being bound by that Article, Rule or Regulation.

4. SUBSCRIPTION

Membership of the club shall be Adult, Seniors , Partnership (2 people) Juveniles (subscription fees to be reviewed on a regular basis) All subscriptions are payable in advance being due on January 1st each year. Any member whose annual subscription remains unpaid after 31st March in any year shall bedeemed to have resigned from membership of the Club. The subscriptions of new members joining the club on or after October 1st in any year shall be valid until December 31st of the following year. Payment of the annual subscription shall be deemed to indicate that the member acknowledges and is agreement with and will observe and be bound by the Articles and Rules of the Club so long as he/she continues to be a member of the Club.

5. OFFICERS

The Officers of the club shall be President, Chairman, 2 Vice Presidents (the two highest placed committee members to be Vice Presidents) Secretary / Treasurer (1 position) Complaints Chairman, Cup Steward and a committee of six. These officials shall be the Executive of the club and shall manage its affairs during their term in office. Should the Executive need to call a meeting a weeks notice shall be given, a quorum for a meeting shall be four.

Any vacancy which occurs on the Executive of the Club shall be filled until the end of the current period of office by the member who at the previous election received the largest number of votes for the position vacated but was not elected. In the case of a vacancy occurring on the Executive where the member of the Executive was returned unopposed at the previous election the Executive may co-opt any member of the Club to fill such vacancy until the next general election of officers of the club. No person under the age of eighteen shall be an officer of the club. For any member to be considered for election onto the Executive committee he/she must have been a member of the club for at least 2 years.

6. SECRETARY / TREASURER

The secretary shall attend and keep correct minutes of all meetings of the Club, record all proceedings, conduct correspondence and generally be responsible for the administration of the affairs of the Club. He/she shall keep a record of the names and addresses of all members of the Club and this record may be inspected by any member of the Club providing a satisfactory reason is given for so doing.

The Treasurer shall have charge of all the monies belonging to the Club which shall be deposited in a bank approved by the Executive and generally all amounts shall be paid by cheque which shall be signed by the Treasurer or one of the other official signatories which are registered with the bank. 7. JUDGING PANEL

A panel of 14 judges shall be elected bi-annually by the membership of the Club, any vacancy which occurs on the judging panel shall be filled until the end of the current period by the person who at the previous election received the largest number of votes but was not elected.

There may also be a maximium of 3 Life Member Judges. 8. ELECTION OF OFFICERS OF THE CLUB AND JUDGING PANEL

A bi-annual ballot of the members of the Club shall be held before 31st October in alternate years to elect the Executive and the Judging Panel of the Club for the following two years. All candidates for election must have been a member of the Club for at least the two previous years, must have been nominated in writing by two other members of the Club and must have indicated their willingness in writing to be nominated. All incumbents of the Executive and judging panel shall, if still eligible, be included on the same section of the ballot only if they have notified the Secretary of the Club in writing. Notice of the ballot shall be posted in ‘Cavies’ magazine at least four weeks prior to closing date for nominations for all the positions being balloted. The ballot shall be counted by a scrutineer appointed by the Executive of the Club and he/she shall not be a member of the Club The results of the elections will be published in ‘Cavies’ magazine.

Voting – Partnerships shall be eligible to one vote. Each individual member is entitled to one vote. Juveniles members shall not have any voting rights.

9. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held before March 31st each year for the purpose of receiving reports and the balance sheet from the previous year, and if required, amending the Articles, Rules or Regulations of the Club. A majority vote of the Club members present at the meeting shall decide any issue under consideration. Any item for inclusion on the AGM Agenda should be made in writing to the Secretary at least 21 days before the meeting. Any issue decided at the meeting shall come into force with immediate effect, with the sole exception of a change in subscriptions, in which case the new rates shall apply to membership for the following calendar year. Notice of this meeting shall be posted in ‘Cavies’ magazine.

N.B Any member wishing to make an alteration or amendment to Rules & Regulations must give 28 days notice to the Secretary detailing the proposed alteration or amendment.10. GENERAL MEETING

Upon the written request any Officer and 5 members of the Club the Secretary must convene a General meeting of the Club to be held within 30 days of being so requested. The only matters that may be considered at the Meeting are those for which the meeting was convened

11. BALANCE SHEET

An audited balance sheet shall be prepared each year and shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting. The period to be presented on the Balance Sheet shall be from January 1st – December 31st. The Balance sheet shall be audited by a person elected by the Executive of the Club and he/she shall not be a member of the Club.

12. STOCK SHOWS

A vote shall be held at the Annual General Meeting each year to decide the venues for the Stock and Points Shows for the forthcoming year. All Stock Shows are to be judged by one of the National Tortoise & White judging panel (a panel judge can judge more than one show in any two year period – although not two shows in succession) Area Shows can be judged by any National or Southern Cavy Club panel judge.

13. CLUB AWARDS

No person shall be allowed to receive a Club award unless he/she is a paid up member of the Club. The trophies of the Club shall be competed for each year. Every winner of a Club trophy shall guarantee to the Executive of the Club, the safe custody thereof, and undertake to return the trophy when requested, to the CUP STEWARD or in default of such return, such winner shall be liable to replace the Trophy at his/her own expense.

14. COMPLAINTS

Any member of the club who wishes to register a complaint or allegation must do so in writing, and must deposit with the Secretary of the Club within 28 days of the event or action from which the complaint or allegation arose, the sum of £30, and if the complaint or allegations, in the opinion of the Investigation Panel of the Club, frivolous or quite unfounded then the said sum shall be forfeited.

Failure to accept the decision of the committee shall indicate the resignation of Club membership15. EXHIBITION OF STOCK

Stock purchased from a judge MUST NOT be exhibited under the judge from whom it was purchased until a period of 3 months had lapsed.

16. NOVICE EXHIBITOR / NEW MEMBER

Under National Tortoise & White Cavy Club Rules a Novice Exhibitor / New Member is not to have won a FIRST prize in any Tortoise & White Stock or Area Show17. DISQUALIFICATIONS

In the event of a judge having to report or disqualify any exhibitor the details must be sent in writing to the Complaints Chairman.